Nestled in the back corner of G.P. Vanier, you'll find room 611. Lurking in the shadows of this room is Mr. Young...waiting to pounce on unsuspecting students and natter on about volcanoes, hail, psychopathy, criminal law defenses, the battle of Ortona, and demographic transition models. Really, he'd like to be snorkeling in Hanauma Bay but he loves his job just the same.

Friday, February 17, 2012

C Block Geography 12 - Today in class you’ll look at tectonics and plate boundaries. You’ll have to take down a few notes on divergent, convergent, and transform plate boundaries along with hot spots and then you'll need to work on two questions on geothermal energy and the effects of the Juan de Fuca plate and ridge just off our shores.

A Block Social Studies 11 - From Ms. Krahn's blog site: Today we will be finishing up the pamphlet assignment. You will have the entire class to work on it in the library. Also, unless you’ve made other arrangements with me, all outstanding work from this unit is due today as well. Here is a link to the assignment. Please note that the due date has been changed to FRIDAY, FEB 17th. If you would like to include pictures and writing in colour, you may email me your project rather than paying to print it in colour.

B Block Law 12 - Yesterday we began to look at legal rights in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms (sections 7-9). Today, we'll finish the legal rights section (sections 10 a-d-14) working on the following questions from yesterday: page 54 q 1-3; page 56 q 1, 2 and 4; and page 60 question 1. For the rest of the class talking about equality and looking at section 15.

From the Website charterofcanada.ca:

To prove section 15 has been violated you must show:

•You were treated differently from others because of the law•The different treatment was because of a reason set out under section 15 (race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age, mental or physical disability) or an analogous reason (a personal trait like sexual orientation, marital status, or citizenship)•The different treatment amounts to discrimination under section 15. For example, does the law have the effect of saying the person is less worthy of respect or consideration than other people? Is the person part of a group that has been stereotyped, suffered prejudice or been historically disadvantaged? How does the different treatment relate to the persons circumstances?

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

C Block Geography 12 - Yesterday we looked at magma, igneous rocks, and plutonic (intrusive) igneous rock features (both concordant and discordant features). Today we will focus on sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. We'll take down a cross section diagram of the geology here in south western British Columbia. We'll collectively define compaction, cementation, recrystallization, clastic sedimentary rock, and non clastic sedimentary rock. We will define contact, regional, and dynamic metamorphosism and you'll have question 15 from page 366 in your Geosystems text for homework.Check out the Dynamic Earth Interactive Rock Identification site hereCheck out the Flash animation of Metamorphic Rock Creation here.

For more information on the fight in Canada for the right to die on one's own terms look at the CBC In Depth site on the Sue Rodriguez case. In 2011, Gloria Taylor from Kelowna filed a case in B.C. Supreme Court to grant her the right to a doctor-assisted suicide. More info on this case can be found here.

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you'll be writing your government unit final quiz. Today you will be writing your test on the Government unit. The test consists of 15 multiple choice, 15 short answer and 15 matching questions. The test includes material we covered in class, and material that you looked closely at for the unit assignments. There is also a bit of overlap with the information you have covered in the review. Best of luck.

Reminder: The Review portion of the test is due TODAY. All other assignments are due FRIDAY.

After the test, we’ll take a step back from government and I’ll ask you to think about Canadian identity – what does it mean to be Canadian? The overarching theme for our history unit will be how Canadian identity has been shaped throughout the events of the 20th century. We’ll watch a (student made!) video on the subject, and talk about some of these ideas.

B Block Law 12 - So yesterday we got caught up in our Fundamental Freedoms outlined in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This morning I'd like to start with you getting into partners and choosing two items/statements/scenarios from the list below. If you need to, use your All About Law text and then we'll figure out whether or not Section 2 of the Charter covers the following...

After we discuss this I'll have you work on questions 1-4 of the Canada (Attorney General) v. JTI Macdonald Corp., (2007) on page 44 in the text. I'd also like you to work on question 3 from page 46 which deals with the R. v. Keegstra (1990) and R. v. Butler (1992) cases

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you are in the library working on your pamphlet project that she handed out to you last Friday. From here blogsite:oday we’ll review the structure of the Government Unit test you’ll be writing tomorrow, and any questions you might have. I will also have a list – organized by student number – of all of the assignments that have been handed in so far.

Remember, all assignments for the unit are due on FRIDAY.

Then we will head to the library to work on the pamphlet project. We have a short class today, but you will have Friday’s class to work on the project as well.

Here is a link to the assignment: http://www.box.com/s/hy58hzidkiirl6shvs31Please note that the due date has been changed to FRIDAY, FEB 17th. If you would like to include pictures and writing in colour, you may email me your project rather than paying to print it in colour.

Other Stuff: If you’re interested in knowing more about our fundamental rights and freedoms, here’s a link to the BC Civil Liberties Association website. The BCCLA is a non-partisan charitable society that provides information and legal aid in cases dealing with civil liberties and human rights. They have several handbooks and pamphlets available on these topics: http://www.bccla.org/05pubs.htm

C Block Geography 12 - Today we'll finish transfering some notes into our week 3 package on the rock cycle and then we'll focus on igneous rocks and plutonic features. We'll have a diagram to complete and then there will be three questions to work on (12, 13, & 14 from page 366 in your Geosystems textbook). If time permits we will look at some sweet footage of Kilauea and try to understand the type of lava (rhyolite? andesite? peridotite? basalt?)You can check out current conditions and watch videos (including some cool footage of the Pu'u 'O'o vent) at the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory here

Monday, February 13, 2012

C Block Geography 12 - Yesterday we looked at the interior structure of the Earth - specifically focusing on the physical differences between core, mantle and crust. Today we'll discuss the differences between Sial and Sima (continental and oceanic crust) along with figuring out what buoyancy and isostasy are. You'll need to complete question 9 from page 366 of the text (isostasy, isostatic rebound, and crustal equilibrium).If you need help look at the Geology for Kids web page, the flash animated movie on the Kids Know It network, or the e-notes Isostasty: World of Earth Science page. We'll then quickly look at the rock cycle and take a diagram down in the week three note package. For help look below...

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you’ll be going over some other details from the Constitution and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Specifically, you’ll review amending the Constitution and the use of the notwithstanding clause, and then overview fundamental freedoms (section 2), legal rights (sections 7-14) and your equality rights (section 15) in the Charter.

After this, Ms. Krahn will hand out a unit review for you to work on as a study guide for Thursday’s test (and you might just have a jeopardy-style game to engage with too).

B Block Law 12 - Today, we'll identify what our fundamental freedoms are (section 2 a-d of the Charter) and today we'll build on that. We'll re-examine the Multani v. Commission scolaire Marguerite-Bourgeoys (2006) case on pages 41-42 of the All About Law text and then we'll figure out whether or not Section 2 of the Charter covers the following...

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Today I am on Mount Washington with the ski/snowboard team so Mr Janz will be working with you all today.

A Block Social Studies 11 - Today with Ms. Krahn you'll begin looking at the Constitution and your rights embedded within the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. From Ms. Krahn...

This is our last week on the government unit. Here’s an overview of what the following week will look like

MONDAY – Judicial branch, Constitution and Charter

Tuesday – Finish Constitution and Charter and then review

Wednesday – Work in Computer lab on Pamphlet

Thursday – Unit Test

Friday – Work in Computer Lab on Pamphlet

And a reminder: FRIDAY IS LAST DAY TO HAND IN WORK MISSED IN THIS UNIT

Today we’ll be looking at the Judicial branch of our government, and the role it plays in interpreting and applying the laws in our Country. We’ll discuss the role of provincial courts as well as the Supreme Court of Canada. Here’s a visual of the hierarchy of the court system:

Then we’ll take a look at our Constitution, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, and how the Charter can be interpreted in the courts.

We’ll end the class with looking at a case study that related to the Quebec Kirpan Case. We’ll look at the scenario, and you will answer 5 questions in small groups. A handout of the group activity is available here: http://www.box.com/s/cv0fnusaehed1h4ghqt6

B Block Law 12 - Today you'll start the class with the last 15 minutes of the Law & Order episode “Cherished” from season 9 that we started on Friday. Just before the final decision in the case is handed down by the jury the DVD will be paused and you'll need to write down what your decision would be if you were the judge in the case. You need to indicate whether the accused is guilty or innocent and the reasoning why they feel that way. You'll need to issue a sentence if you find someone guilty. The charge is 2nd Degree murder - which is intentional but unplanned and unpremeditated homicide. The three people on charge are the Russian doctor (Andrei Kostov) and the first set of adoptive parents (Edward and Megan Connery - the ones who originally adopted the infant and then falsified information to “pawn” the infant off on another set of parents). You can find one or all three guilty of 2nd Degree murder or you can find one or all three guilty of a lesser charge (like involuntary manslaughter – unintentional death caused by negligence…AKA stupidity). If you choose 2nd Degree murder then the maximum penalty is life in prison with no eligibility for parole for 25 years. If you choose involuntary manslaughter then the maximum penalty is life in prison and there is no minimum (in other words you can issue a sentence of community service or a short time in jail or a half way house or something like that).

After, we'll talk about your decisions and then you'll get the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms Scavenger Hunt worksheet (BLM 2-1a). Use all of Chapter 2 in the All About Law text to find the answers.C Block Geography 12 - OK Lets get this out of the way right now....No the movie the Core is not possible. We do not have the technology to burrow our way to the core of the earth and detonate a nuclear device in order to start the liquid outer core rotating. Today we start with tectonics and the internal structure/composition of the earth. We'll take some notes down in the week 3 package on core, mantle, and crust and then we'll watch the first 30 minutes of the Amazing Planet DVD from National Geographic. You may use the Earth Interior web page or the Dynamic Earth webpage to help with questions 7 & 8 from page 366 of your Geosystems text (answers can be found between pages 334 and 336 of the text).

Use this diagram for your notes in the week 3 package.If you missed it here's part of the the DVD

Mount Saint Helens '09

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About Me

Currently I teach Geography, Criminology, Law, and Social Studies at G.P. Vanier Seconday School in Courtenay, B.C. I also teach the EDCP 432 methods class in the Faculty of Education at the University of British Columbia.
I was the most recent British Columbia and Yukon Territory representative on the national executive for Canadian Geographic Education (CGE), finishing my second term in June 2010. In the fall of 2010, I was inducted as a member of the College of Fellows for the Royal Canadian Geographical Society.
I have a B.A. (advanced major) and a B.Ed. from Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and a M.A. in Environmental Education from Royal Roads University in Victoria, B.C.